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华尔街日报Chamath Palihapitiya Warns Bernie Sanders' 'Stop AI' Message Sounds Rational To Squeezed Americans
Venture capitalist Chamath Palihapitiya issued a stark warning to Silicon Valley this week: the growing “Stop AI” movement, championed by figures like Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), is not spreading because it is radical, but because it sounds rational to an increasingly squeezed American public.
The ‘Rich-People Money Loop’
Speaking on the All-In Podcast, Palihapitiya argued that the tech industry faces a catastrophic “perception issue” that threatens to derail progress if leaders do not urgently pivot from generating stock market wealth to delivering tangible public benefits.
Palihapitiya diagnosed the industry’s PR crisis as a disconnect between Wall Street and Main Street. While Big Tech celebrates “circular deal-making,” capital flows, and booming stock prices, the average American sees a different reality: rising electricity bills, potential job losses, and a shrinking future for their children.
“The reason [Bernie Sanders' message] went viral was not because it sounded so crazy, but because to some faction… it sounded rational and reasonable,” Palihapitiya said.
He warned that while a small percentage of elites benefit from the AI boom, the majority feel the “sword of Damocles” hanging over their heads.
Lessons From The Gilded Age
The solution, according to Palihapitiya, is for modern tech moguls to emulate the industrialists of the Gilded Age.
Just as Andrew Carnegie built 2,500 libraries to ensure the public benefited from the industrial revolution, today’s AI giants must use their balance sheets to improve education, housing, or healthcare.
He called for an immediate end to the “ostentatious displays of wealth” that alienate voters.
“Enough of the stupid haircuts, dumb watches, ugly clothes… It has to stop,” he urged. “We need to start doing things that are practically measurable by tens of millions of American citizens.”
Fueling The Political Fire
The warning comes as the political battle over AI intensifies. Senator Sanders has recently sounded the alarm over “Big Tech Oligarchs” pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into Super PACs to defeat pro-regulation candidates. This move validates Palihapitiya's fear of a deepening class divide.
Palihapitiya noted that politicians possess an “incredible sense of self-preservation.”
If the industry fails to provide a “social dividend,” he predicts that populist calls to halt AI progress will inevitably translate into restrictive legislation.
Here’s a list of AI-linked ETFs for investors to consider.
| ETF Name | YTD Performance | One Year Performance |
| iShares US Technology ETF (NYSE:IYW) | 25.20% | 22.01% |
| Fidelity MSCI Information Technology Index ETF (NYSE:FTEC) | 21.90% | 18.91% |
| First Trust Dow Jones Internet Index Fund (NYSE:FDN) | 10.95% | 8.29% |
| iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF (NYSE:IGM) | 26.64% | 23.86% |
| iShares Global Tech ETF (NYSE:IXN) | 23.43% | 20.30% |
| Defiance Quantum ETF (NASDAQ:QTUM) | 34.86% | 35.26% |
| Roundhill Magnificent Seven ETF (BATS:MAGS) | 23.93% | 18.25% |
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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